#defections-to-reform-uk

#defections-to-reform-uk

"I have a career, family and friends in the UK. My whole life is in the UK," she said, expressing her distress over the situation.

The uncomfortable truth is that Britain is not being ignored by accident. It is being bypassed because it no longer carries the weight it once did.

The war in Iran must now become a line in the sand, because how we emerge from this crisis will define all of us for a generation. Instead of hoping to return to the world of 2008, we will forge a new path for Britain that strengthens our energy, our defence and our economic security in a new age.

Shabana Mahmood's migration changes are expected to save just 600m, about 6% of the 10bn the home secretary claimed, according to the government's own data.

Labour said Kathy Gibbon should stand down after she left Reform UK and joined the Tories on Buckinghamshire Council. Gibbon, who represents the Kingsbrook, Bierton and Wing ward, was elected for Reform last year, but announced her defection this week claiming the move would "allow me to work more effectively as part of a strong, experienced team". Reform UK councillor Cameron Anderson said voters would "now feel a great sense of dissatisfaction and injustice", while Labour called for a by-election.

The Conservatives are calling for a proposed renovation of the Houses of Parliament to be paused and "refocused" over concerns about costs potentially running into the tens of billions. MPs have been presented with proposals to refurbish the ailing Palace of Westminster, including a plan that could cost almost 40bn and take 61 years to complete. The project team has warned delaying the restoration of the historic building, which costs 1.5m a week to maintain, would lead to "an expensive managed decline of the Palace".

James Evans has been removed from the shadow cabinet and had the whip withdrawn making him an independent, Tory Senedd leader Darren Millar has said. Millar said he did so on Tuesday morning "after being informed by James that he was continuing to engage with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting to the party in spite of his personal assurances on Friday that he had rejected an approach they initiated last week".

No-one in this borough is more angry with this prime minister than me.

said the Tories were "irreparably bound to the mistakes of previous governments" and not willing to take "meaningful accountability" for poor decisions.